


Living On Margins

by jaehyucks



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:05:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9364700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaehyucks/pseuds/jaehyucks
Summary: After 3 years apart, Johnny and Taeil reunite. To Taeil, his blindness has always been his biggest flaw since they were little, Johnny is prepared to show him otherwise.





	

It was the last day of school on a hot and sunny day. A group of teenage students sat idly in their seats as they grew more and more exhausted from the heat. The female teacher stood in front, looking at them intently as she flicked through a thick paged book.

“I hope you all have fun over the summer. Make sure to tell the class what you did when you come back.” The woman encouraged and the students smiled back, nodding their heads seeming more eager than ever to leave the boiling, hot room. Even though all of the windows were open and the ceiling fans were on, it seemed to get hotter and hotter as every minute passed by. “However, I want you all to read this book when you have time.”

All of the students replied with a load groan and the teacher’s smile quickly faded and a scowl replaced it. The pupils all started voicing their complaints about being forced to read the book, all but one. Johnny sat at the back in the far left corner of the class. With his chin resting on his arm and his body pressed against the edge of his desk, he used his bullet point pen to carve into the wooden surface in front of him. 

“Hey.”

Johnny looked over to his right just in time to catch his best friend, Jaehyun trying to get a peek of his scribbles.

“What are you carving?”

“It’s nothing.” He replied nonchalantly. Johnny didn’t have the energy or interest to reply properly and start an actual conversation. He just wanted to go home and play video games. 

Jaehyun knew what Johnny was thinking, but he pushed on anyways. “Is that Sonic the hedgehog?” 

The taller male sighed. “Yes Jaehyun, it’s Sonic.” He continued carving the outline of the character, adding in the large spikes at the back of it’s head. Johnny had stayed up late three nights in a row trying to clock the stupid game. 

“You know you’re not supposed to be doing that. If Mrs Jung catches you, she’s gonna make you come back during our summer break and sandpaper your desk.”

Johnny scoffed. As if she would. 

He wasn’t gonna be in Seoul this summer break anyways and if Mrs Jung really was gonna make him stay back for something as trivial as this, Johnny was sure his mother would have alot to say to the principal. His mother’s younger brother had passed away this past April and they weren’t able to go and attend his funeral because his family lived out in Yeoseodo and Johnny’s family lived in Seoul. This June they were gonna go to Yeoseodo to visit his grave. His mother was already under stress and going through her daily emotional episodes. If the school delayed their trip, Johnny’s mother was sure to explode.

“Doubt it.” Johnny finally mumbled after a moment of silence and Jaehyun just shrugged his shoulders, returning his eyes to the teacher since he was unable to carry on the conversation due to Johnny’s short and restless replies. 

“That’s enough!” Mrs Jung shouted, slamming the book onto her desk. “I don’t wanna hear anymore complaints. You have all summer to read this book. _All_ summer. It’s not going to kill you to flip through it. It’s a story about a city boy who meets a deaf girl and begins to adapt to her way of living. It’s a beautiful story and I highly encourage you to read into it.”

The teacher’s eyes wandered around the classroom, checking to see if all eyes were on her. She caught sight of Johnny staring absentmindedly at his desk. “Johnny Seo!” She shouted and his wide eyes immediately looked up. 

“Do you know what this story is about?” 

“No?” Johnny raised his eyebrow. “Obviously I don’t because I haven’t read it?”

The classroom erupted into laughter at his bluntness and Mrs Jung’s fingers curled at the sound as if someone was scratching their nails against a black board.

“Be quiet!” She shouted, gritting her pearly whites and the room instantly grew silent. She managed to collect her composure and smirked at the young boy. “Very witty Mr Seo. But I just gave a short summary of it a second ago. Maybe you should listen next time.” 

“Okay.” Johnny simply nodded, shrugging his broad shoulders. God, was he itching for the bell to just ring already. Surely the bell to signal that school was over was gonna ring soon. It felt as if he had been sitting in this same spot and listening to the same annoying, high pitched voice for hours.

As Mrs Jung continued to ramble on and on, Johnny’s eyes lingered on her but he kept thinking about how he was gonna be going to Yeoseodo next week. The last time Johnny was there was three years ago and he had to admit, he had changed quite alot in those three years and he was sure his relatives had all changed as well. He wondered if he would still be able to recognise his three cousins; granted, he couldn’t even remember their names anymore. Maybe once he got there, they could bond again. It wouldn’t hurt for him to bring along his gaming console and maybe they could help him complete all the stages on Sonic. That is, if he hadn’t clocked it by then. 

While he was deep in his thoughts, a hand roughly nudged Johnny’s arm. He looked over and there was Jaehyun with a wide smile on his face, handing Johnny the book that their teacher had been blabbering about. Johnny’s slender eyes ran across the book’s front cover, the title’s letters printed in gold; _I Can Hear Your Voice._

Just when Johnny slipped the book into his bag, the sound of the bell emitted through the classroom and flooded the halls. All of the students packed up their things, pushed in their chairs and rushed out before Mrs Jung could even peep another word. 

 

—

 

Johnny stared out at the water. The waves slithering along the surface as their ferry inched closer and closer to Yeoseodo. He was dead tired from staying up trying to finish Sonic the previous night. His eyes were red and aching yet he still wanted to take in the scenery. In Seoul, he would’ve never really gotten the chance to see the ocean like this. 

Suddenly he felt a warm hand grasp his shoulder. He glanced back and caught his mother’s delicate eyes. 

“Mom.”

“Johnny.” His mother gave him a worried smile. “Aren’t you cold standing out here all by yourself?”

He smiled back and shook his head. “I’m fine. Are we almost there yet?”

“Almost.” She pulled him into a gentle hug, her fingers stroking the strands of hair at the top of his head.

“Are you okay?” He quietly asked. She slowly let him go and placed her hands on his shoulders. 

“I’m okay. It’s just that, I don’t think I’m ready to see your uncle’s grave.” Her lips slightly trembled as if she still hadn’t come to terms with his passing and the mention of ‘grave’ might have just set her off. 

Johnny grabbed his mother’s hand, his fingers tracing the fine wrinkles that painted across her canvas like skin. “When we go to visit his grave, I’ll be right there beside you. There’s nothing to worry about, I’ve got you.”

His mother gasped, a smile wiping across her soft lips as she pulled him back into a loving hug. “What would I do without you Johnny?” Although he had never told her, Johnny couldn’t stand seeing his mother sad. He just wanted her to be happy because whenever she smiled, to him, she was indeed the most beautiful woman.

 

—

 

After much wait, the ferry had safely settled beside Yeoseodo’s dock. A small group of people were waiting below as Johnny and his mother glanced at them. Johnny’s mother broke out into a cheerful smile at the familiar faces and immediately waved to the group.

“Let’s go, they’re down there waiting for us.” Johnny’s mother told her son. Holding onto their bags on one hand, the two made their way down the stairs and to the bottom of the ferry. Once they saw their relatives in sight, the two quickly walked down the ramp.

Johnny watched on as his mother collided with his aunty and held her tightly in her arms. From the way they were patting each other’s backs, he knew that the waterworks would come any minute now. He sighed and turned around to see his cousins. He was right, they did change three years later. He remembered all of them being smaller than he was and yet here they were standing face to face and they were all as tall as he was. Well, all except one? Except, Johnny never remembered having four cousins. Didn’t he only have three? The petite brunette in question shuffled his way to the back of the other three and kept his head low. Huh, how strange.

“Looks like you’ve gotten more good looking, Johnny.” One of them generously complimented, grabbing his attention away from the person hiding behind them..

“Uh, thanks.” Johnny chuckled awkwardly, still not able to recall what their names were. A silence drifted over them and Johnny inwardly cursed at himself for not thinking about what to say on the ferry earlier. “Um, sorry if I sound rude but could you all introduce yourselves? It’s been three years and my memory is kinda-”

“You don’t need to explain yourself, we understand.” One of the males chuckled. “I’m Hansol, your oldest cousin?”

“Oh!” Johnny bursted out into laughter as the familiar name instantly brought back one of his all time favourite memories. “Hansol as in the one that broke the tire swing when we were crossing the river behind your mom’s house and almost broke his neck?”

Hansol laughed along and offered his hand out for a handshake. “Yeah, that one.”

“No need for handshakes, man.” Johnny swatted Hansol’s hand away. “Bring it in.” 

Johnny pulled Hansol into a tight hug, scuffling up his hair.

“I can’t believe out of all the good times we shared as kids, the tire swing incident is the one you remember.” Hansol shook his head when the two were back to facing each other again.

“Can’t help it, you did some pretty stupid stuff three years ago.”

“Hey! I was just unlucky.” The two laughed again.

Johnny’s eyes travelled over to another male standing on the side. Johnny continued to stare at his face, tapping the wooden surface below him with his right foot. He was trying to remember who this kid in front of him was. This one had a cheeky smirk on his face. He had tanned skin, round eyes and brown, greasy looking hair that seemed like it hadn’t been properly washed for days. 

“Woah, you’ve been staring for way too long buddy.” The male gently shoved Johnny causing him to almost stumble over his own feet and trip.

“I’m guessing you’re Donghyuck?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Donghyuck chuckled, hitting Johnny gently on the arm. “It’s okay, I understand you can’t help but stare at art.”

Donghyuck turned his head and gazed dramatically into the distance, trying to show off his side profile.

Johnny shook his head. “Still as cocky as ever, I see.” 

“Well that’s what happens when you grow up farming Chickens, you become one.”

Another figure standing beside Donghyuck, furrowed his brows and playfully pushed him, signalling him to stop. 

Johnny glanced at him and it only took a short moment before he recognised exactly who this white skinned, baby faced boy was. “And you must be Minhyung?”

The boy was shocked at how fast Johnny recognised him but quickly gave him a smile and gentle nod.

“And uh-” Johnny’s finger slowly lifted up to point at the person standing quietly behind the three tall boys. “Who’s that?”

His three cousins, with their eyes wide like saucers, turned around and moved aside to give Johnny a better view.

“Oh. Do you not remember who this is?” Hansol questioned as Donghyuck and Minhyung encouraged the petite male to walk forward. Johnny watched in confusion as the small brunette lifted up his head to look at him. Although he wasn’t really looking at him. Johnny noticed that he was just looking in Johnny’s direction but he wasn’t making eye contact and his eyes didn’t seem to blink once. Not at all.

“Can you remember who this is?” Minhyung asked as he, Hansol and Donghyuck watched Johnny try to decipher who this guy in front of him was.

“No way! Did you forget Taeil?” Donghyuck’s faint voice mumbled.

“Taeil?” 

It was then that Johnny remembered. Three years ago when he was staying on this island, aside from playing with his three cousins, the person he spent everyday playing with was a boy named Moon Taeil. He had dark brown, tousled hair and perfectly tanned skin. But the thing that Johnny loved the most about him were his eyes. The boy might’ve been born blind but his eyes sparkled more than anyone else's. He was shy, smart, funny and a bit awkward but the two got along really well. It was inevitable that Johnny would momentarily forget Taeil. They had spent three years apart and Johnny was busy with his schoolwork back at home. 

“ _Taeil?_ The blind Taeil? Like Moon Taeil?” Johnny emphasized in realisation, this time it was clear that he had finally remembered who the petite male was.

The corners of Taeil’s lips rose up into a pleasant smile. “Hi Johnny.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been awhile since I've written a fic and I decided to write for NCT. My writing is probably really rusty but hopefully over time, I can get back into it again. Twitter: littledonghyuck


End file.
